


Single Riders Will Be Paired

by 8ethespider8itch



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: AU, M/M, MeetCute, Sal Fisher and Larry Johnson Are Not Related, Single Rider AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29730168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8ethespider8itch/pseuds/8ethespider8itch
Summary: Harry Fisher does not ride roller coasters.*I saw a post about this idea on Tumblr*
Relationships: Sal Fisher/Larry Johnson
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

“Sal, there is no way in hell I’m getting on that ride.” Henry looked up at the swoops and spirals of Flaming Heck, the newest coaster in the theme park. He’d been a good sport today. He'd agreed to rides that spun, to rickety wooden coasters that were older than him, and even to an indoor ride where they shot lasers at anthropomorphic chocolate bars while speeding along a track of flashing lights in a dark tunnel. But this? This was the line. The Flaming Heck started on a death defying free fall, then immediately upward at a 90 degree angle. Up, up, up above the park it towers, above even the highest rides. Then, without warning, the ride hurtled downward into a horrifying series of corkscrews and loops.It was four directional, going forward, backward, and side to side on its tracks. Animatronic dragons shot flaming breaths at passing riders. It had six large loops, two of which went backward. It was the fastest ride in the park. The attendants offered barf bags as riders disembarked. Henry Fisher was entirely too old for this shit. 

“Come on dad," Sal whined, tugging on his father's arm. "It can’t be that bad. It’s brand new! I bet the ride is so smooth you won’t even feel the loops. Just close your eyes the whole time, you won't even notice.” As soon as this optimistic sentence was out of Sal’s mouth, a teenage boy about twice his size came racing out of the exit gate and proceeded to puke noisily into a nearby trash can. Henry raised an eyebrow at Sal, who sighed and wilted visibly. “It’s fine. Let’s go find something else.”

“Why?” Henry asked. “There’s a bench right over there. I’ll take a break, maybe grab a corndog, and you can ride this one by yourself.”

"Are you crazy?" Sal asked, staring at his father as if he'd sprouted a second head.

Henry laughed. "I can't be crazier than you! I'm not the one who wants to get tossed around in that death trap. Why can't you go without me? Are you too scared?" he teased his son lightly.

Sal motioned to the sign by the entrance of the ride. “Single riders will be paired,” he read dryly. “I don’t really want to ride a roller coaster with a stranger.” _I don’t really think a stranger will want to ride this ride with me._

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Henry said. “I’m too old to keep up with you. Let your old man have a break." He waved an arm toward the ride entrance. "I’ll see you in a little bit. Want me to grab you a corndog?”

Sal rolled his eyes. “Sure, I guess.” He gritted his teeth and made his way to the entrance. Sal would have liked to think that his father’s clueless demeanor was just that: clueless. But there was no way he had missed the hats and sunglasses flying off the ride just now. He knew Sal was going to have to take his prosthetic off if he wanted to ride this ride. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the gate open and followed the winding maze toward the ride. He got the usual reaction as he approached the end of the line. A woman with a child that was definitely too small for this ride pulled her daughter closer and gave him a look. He didn’t even bother to mumble the cursory “It’s a prosthetic” this time, instead following the fork in the fenced in path under a large metal sign labeled Single Riders. Oof.

The single riders line was blessedly short, much shorter than the one he had bypassed, and for a moment Sal wondered if this was too good to be true. At the gate was a lady all in all-beige athleisure holding hands with a child barely tall enough for the ride. The child appeared to be wearing thick platform sneakers and a high ponytail to make up for the height issue. A few awkward looking men in cargo shorts made up the middle of the line, and at the back was a tall, skinny person with long, brown hair and cut off jean shorts. As Sal approached the person turned around and grinned openly at him.

“Hey dude, looks like you’re probably going to be my ride partner.” The guy gave Sal an awkward thumbs up then nodded to the line ahead of him. He had a warm smile and kind eyes. Sal was astonished that this guy was genuinely smiling at him without a hint of confusion or judgment. “I’m Larry. What’s up?”

Sal gave him “the nod.” I’m Sal.” 

There was a bit of an awkward silence as they stood sizing each other up before Larry said, “I um. Like your mask.”

Sal chuckled. “Heh, thanks. It’s a prosthetic.”

“Oh! Shit, sorry man.” Larry’s face was beet red, which made Sal snort.

“No, really, it’s fine. I’ve definitely heard worse.” He shook his head. “How’d you end up in the single riders line?”

“I’m here with some friends.” Larry nodded to a group of people considerably further back in the queue. A guy with green hair was laughing as a pretty dark haired girl made exaggerated faces, telling a story that clearly embarrassed the two guys on her other side. “We’ve been alternating out who rides single, but I feel like I’ve had the short end of the stick the most times.” He shrugged. “I don’t mind. Chug gets sick, Ash screeches the entire time, and Todd and Neil mope every time they don't get to hold hands on a ride. Why are you on your own?"

"I'm actually here with my dad. It's a bit of a bribe, really. We just moved her from Jersey, he told me once we were unpacked and settled he'd take me to the amusement park to celebrate." Sal rolled his eyes. "I wasn't exactly excited about the move, but today's been nice."

"Where's your dad now?" Larry asked.

"On a bench somewhere? He said something about corn dogs." Sal rolled his eyes. "He doesn't do roller coasters. I've gotten him to ride a few today, but the loops on this thing scare the shit out of him. He once told me if he wanted to fall to his death from a high place he'd find a better view to do it from."

Larry laughed. "That's hilarious, dude. Your dad sounds like an interesting guy." The line moved forward ahead of them, and an angry voice drifted back to them. 

"Excuse me, do you expect my daughter to ride this thing on her own?" The woman at the front of the line was clutching the small girl's hand along with her metaphorical pearls. "She is seven years old!"

"Ma'am, you are in the single riders line. The sign is very clear."

"Do you expect me to allow her to sit with some pervert?" she eyed the line behind her, where the cargo-shorted men shifted awkwardly and Sal and Larry did their best to hide snickers.

A second ride attendant arrived beside the first, older and more patient looking. "Excuse me, ma'am, can I ask what the problem is?"

"The PROBLEM," the woman explained tersely, "is that THIS young lady has informed me that I am to be separated from my child. That my SEVEN year old child will be exposed to STRANGERS and PERVERTS because she is being SEPARATED from me."

Larry leaned over to Sal with a smirk. "Who do you think she's calling a pervert?" he asked quietly, and Sal snorted.

"My vote is the guy with the Punisher tee shirt and the Reeboks." He nodded at the second guy back, the one who looked the most uncomfortable. He had both hands in his pockets and was staring downward uncomfortably.

Larry nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I think she's talking about us. She gave me a nasty look when I was standing here alone and told me to pull up my pants." He gave his pants a hike and they slipped right back down his hips. "Sorry I'm skinny."

Sal got a surprising flutter in his stomach at the tiny glimpse of lower abdomen and peeking boxers he got. Not skinny, apparently. Toned. _Crap_.

"Ma'am, either she gets on the ride now, you get on the ride now, or neither of you rides. That is how a line works." The attendant was clearly exhausted and lacked even the smallest amount of patience for stupidity. Larry turned a snort into an awkward cough.

"Hey lady," Sal called, shocked at his own boldness. "There's one way you could ride together." 

The woman looked back, searching for the voice. "How would I do that?"

"You could turn your ass around and go to the end of the right line and wait like everyone else."

"How DARE you?" the woman exclaimed, and Larry lost it, leaning heavily on the railing and hooting with laughter until tears ran down his cheeks. "Young lady, where is your mother? I'd like to have a word with her-" Larry laughed even harder then, slapping his leg.

"She's dead," Sal said flatly, and the woman took an aggressive step toward him.

"Ma'am!" The exasperated ride attendant had had enough. "You'll need to remove yourself from the ride platform or security will remove you from the park." She placed a firm, guiding hand on the woman's back, aiming her toward the exit, throwing Sal and Larry her own dirty look. Larry continued to laugh, but Sal had the good grade to be embarrassed and focus as hard as he could on his cell phone as the woman exited the platform, bitching all the way. Two of the cargo shorts guys buckled into the ride and were swept away in a blur of screaming, which made Sal smirk.

"So how do you do on roller coasters?" Sal asked, watching with barely suppressed laughter as the next group disembarked wobbling from the newly returned train. "You going to be sick on me?"

Larry shrugged, but he looked a bit pale. "I've never had a problem," he said with grinning bravado. "Why? You nervous?" Sal's stomach fluttered again, but he managed to keep his tone light.

"A little. We only just met, it's a little early to be dodging your bodily fluids."

Larry put a hand to his heart dramatically. "Sal, I'm wounded. Do I look like someone who puts out on the first date?"

Sal made a big show of looking him up and down, stroking his chin like a beard. "Yes." The two of them cracked up.

Ahead of them, one of the two remaining cargo shorts guys seemed to be having a crisis. He looked up at the first drop, then at the exit, then back up again. Finally, he darted past them and back toward the entrance like his life depended on it. 

Larry looked after him mildly. "Looks like I won't be ride partners with you after all Sal. It's just me and," he leaned in to whisper, "the pervert."

Sal laughed, but was surprised to find that he was disappointed. He wasn't looking forward to taking his prosthetic off in front of anyone, Larry included, but he was enjoying the conversation and wasn't ready for it to end. Besides that, he fervently hoped nobody would get in line behind him before his turn. "Too bad," he said with a shrug. "I was almost looking forward to being there when you lose your lunch."

The next train pulled forward and unloaded another group of unstable passengers and the attendant held one finger, calling forward the last cargo shorts guy. From the other line, a man who had been helping his young son in walked across to the exit, leaving a single seat available to fill. The attendant motioned to two additional empty seats at the very back of the car and beckoned Larry and Sal over.

"Ready to hurl?" Sal asked, strapping in as Larry settled in on his left. A bored-looking teenager jerked at his lap bar without looking before giving the person at the front a thumbs up. Looking around, Sal saw that no one was coming over to check their possessions. A woman in front of him had a baseball cap on, and the little boy ahead of them had a pair of sunglasses on his head. Sal decided that he'd leave his prosthetic on. _I'll just hang onto it tightly,_ he reasoned, but he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. This was a bad idea. He looked over at Larry, who seemed completely unperturbed besides his clenched fists, knuckles white clutching the lap bar. 

"You sure you want to leave that on?" Larry asked, seeming to read his mind. 

"What, my face?" Sal asked. "It's a little late now, isn't it?" Echoing this sentiment, the countdown clock above their heads began and a robotic woman's voice called over the din.

"Heading to heck in three, two, ONE!" The coaster train launched forward with a jerk, and Sal instinctively grabbed the bar with both hands. They swooped down the initial decline before starting the steady click up, up, up at a sharp 90 degree angle. 

"Heading to heck, huh?" Larry asked in Sal's ear as they ticked upward, closer and closer to the peak, and Sal snorted.

"Choose a worse name for a roller coaster, I dare you," he said. Larry's hair hung over the seat behind them, and Sal thought ruefully that it was a good thing that they were at the back, or it might tickle some poor passenger's nose and get them sneezed on. Sal grimaced at the thought and took the opportunity to grip his prosthetic tightly to his face. The rounded peak menaced over them, closer by the second, and Larry put a hand on Sal's, instinctively gripping him in terror. Sal released one hand from his face and took Larry's hand just as they tipped over the edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really headcanon Sal as loving a safe adrenaline rush. What do you guys think!  
> ALSO: any guesses as to what theme park this is based on?


	2. Chapter 2

Tipping over the top of the ride's peak, Sal felt his stomach leap. The ride dropped in near free-fall for one hundred fifty one feet. Larry let go of Sal's hand to throw his arms up in the air and whoop with glee, and a chorus of shrieks shrilled from the rest of the train. At the bottom of this drop, the ride immediately corkscrewed at a sharp curve and Sal held onto his face with both hands. They were so close to the ground Sal could swear he felt the grass rush against the toes of his shoes. He felt the wind rush through his hair as the ride accelerated into a loop and revelled in the mixture of fear and exhilaration it caused. One loop immediately lead into two, and Sal heard what sounded like someone puking near the front. A dragon darted out of a hole in the ground to their right, and the warmth of the pyrotechnic effect made him laugh aloud. Another loop, another dragon, another corkscrew going almost straight up, and Sal felt like he was on top of the world.

Then the ride jerked sideways.

The car sailed onto the sideways track and trundled toward the next loop. Sal's sweating fingers slipped from the sides his prosthetic and he felt cool, fresh air on his face. In what felt like slow motion, Sal was horrified to feel the straps let go behind his head and be tugged away by the buffeting wind. He tried to make a grab for it, but missed and watched in absolute horror as the mask flew directly to the left and hit Larry. Instinctively, Larry clutched his face, catching the prosthetic where it struck him. Sal was horrified, but there wasn't time to panic or apologize, because the ride looped again, and again, and again, and again, until Sal felt like he was spiraling into hell. The train swung around several corners, barreling into a final backward corkscrew. The recorded dragon sounds were pounding in Sal's ears and he felt like the ride had been happening for a decade, even though the logic still living in the back of Sal's brain told him that a ride that goes 75 miles per hour couldn't possibly go on that long.

When the ride finally slowed to a halt outside the station, Sal felt every muscle in his body simultaneously slump. His head fell back onto the headrest and he covered his face with both hands, breathing slowly to fight off waves of anxiety and nausea. He couldn't quite bring himself to look over at his fellow passenger. Did he totally hate him? Was he horrified by Sal's face? Or worse, was he going to give him that terrible, pitying look that women in the grocery store gave him when kids asked rude questions.

After what felt like an eternity, Larry tapped him tentatively on the shoulder. "Dude. You ok?" he asked, concern in his voice. Sal nodded, but didn't turn his head or uncover his face. "Are you going to puke?" Larry asked, and Sal shook his head, groaning quietly. "Come on man, talk to me." Sal groaned again, louder. "Dude, if you're worried about your mask I have it right here."

Sal's eyes fluttered open as the ride shuddered jerkily forward and docked to unload. He turned to Larry, who was holding his prosthetic out to him. Larry, whose face was covered in blood. Sal's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" 

The lap bar popped up in front of them and Larry casually pushed his up and began working to unclip his seatbelt. Sal sat frozen in horror. "Dude," Larry said, climbing out of the train and turning back to him. "Are you coming or what?"

Slowly, almost numbly, Sal fumbled with his seatbelt. "Yeah... yeah... I'm coming." He stumbled out of the tram and onto the platform, trying to come up with the words to apologize and to point out the gorey mess, and Larry reached out a hand to steady him.

"Seriously, man, are you ok?" Larry waved down an attendant and snagged a barf bag. He put a guiding arm around Sal and lead him down the ramp to the nearest bench. He sat down and patted the bench beside him. Sal hesitated for a moment, then sat. Larry handed him the bag the attendant had given him. It had a big red circle with the words "Had a Heckin Good Time on the Flaming Heck." Sal physically recoiled.

"I'm not going to puke," he mumbled, pushing the offending object away.

"Breathe into the bag dude," Larry insisted. "You look like you're going to pass out."

Sal grudgingly did, leaning forward so his head was almost between his knees. After a moment of deep breaths, he sat back up. Larry was leaned back on the bench, an arm stretched out casually across the back of the bench behind Sal. He was casually scrolling through his phone. As Sal leaned back and began attaching the straps of his prosthetic behind his face, Larry looked up. "Welcome back Sally Face," he said with a grin. "Feeling better?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm good." Sal was surprised to find that his eyes were teary. "Just had a little trouble back there."

"I noticed that, dude. You really panicked."

"I mean, prosthetics are expensive. And I hit you in the face. Besides," Sal hesitated. "I uh. I don't usually like for people to see my face, you know?"

Realization dawned on Larry's face. "Ohhhhhhhh. I didn't even think about that."

Sal arched a skeptical eyebrow. "You didn't?"

"No, dude! I was just worried you were going to throw up or pass out or something. All those loops in a row at the end..." Larry looked slightly green at the prospect. "I was worried about you, you know?"

"Oh. Thanks, I didn't really...expect that."

"Yeah? Huh." Larry looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned. "I was also a LITTLE worried about you puking on me." 

Sal laughed and elbowed him casually in the ribs. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

The next load of sickened passengers made their way slowly down the ramp, and Larry began waving over some particularly green looking teenagers. "Guys! Over here!" The small crowd slumped over, looking as miserable as Sal had felt a few minutes before, with the exception of the slim, brown-haired girl, who was nearly jumping for joy.

"That. Was. Fantastic!" She ran over to the bench and threw herself down on Larry's other side. "Did you love it?"

Larry looked at Sal with poorly concealed amusement. "Loved it. Right Sal?"

"Excellent," Sal said dryly. "A real phenomenon."

"Gentlemen...and Ash," Larry conceded when Ash glared at him. "This is Sally Face. We met in the single riders line. He's very cool and didn't puke on me, unlike some people." Larry gave a pointed look at the green haired kid whose face was looking equally green. "That's Chug. This is Ash," he gave the girl beside him a jab, "And the lovebirds are Todd and Neil." Todd, the ginger, flushed in the cheeks, but Neil didn't seem to mind the introduction and put an arm around Todd's sunburnt shoulders. 

"You tagging along with us, Sal?" Neil asked. "I think we're heading over to the ride that hands out free chocolate bars."

Chug nodded vigorously. "I deserve something relaxing. I swear you guys are trying to fucking kill me."

Sal was uncertain. He didn't actually know these people, and Larry was just some hot guy whose nose he had almost broken. _I really should tell him there's blood on his face...how have none of these people noticed that there's blood on his face? "_ I don't know. I feel sort of bad leaving my dad on his own." Sal nodded to his father, who was sitting across the way with a corndog in each hand, taking alternating bites from each and chatting with a pretty woman seated on the bench beside him. Ash wolf whistled.

"If that's your dad, Sal, I don't think he needs you. I'm pretty sure he's flirting with Larry's mom."

"Gross..." Chug mumbled. "Adult flirting." He looked, if possible, even greener.

"Whatever," Larry laughed, the arm he still had around Sal tightening. "I have dibs here, mom and I are going to have to have a chat."

Sal thanked whatever higher power was watching that his prosthetic hid his blush. "I didn't even know dad could hold a conversation with a woman, let alone flirt."

"Clearly that's genetic," Larry joked, lightly kicking his ankle.

Ash got up from the bench. "I want free chocolate. Let's go, guys."

Larry stretched and stood up slowly before offering Sal a hand. "You coming bud?"

Sal looked over at his father enthusiastically chattering through bites of corndog, then to Larry's friends smiling invitingly at him, and finally at Larry, quite literally reaching out to him. "Oh what the hell," he said, taking the offered hand and hoisting himself up. "I'm in." His dad caught his eye then, giving him what appeared to be a "go on, have fun," nod and motioned to the cell phone clipped embarrassingly to his hip in a little holster. Sal followed along, exhilarated to feel a part of a group and ostentatiously aware that Larry had not let go of his hand. The group laughed and joked as they wandered along, arguing over how to read the map and sharing a cotton candy, and Sal was shocked at how included he felt. This felt like the start of something promising.   
  


"Larry?" Todd asked suddenly.

"Yeah dude?" Larry looked over at him.

"Why is your face covered in blood?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a long conversation with my roommate regarding physics to figure out the best method for Sal's face to smack into Larry's. What other rides do you think they'd be into? I love the idea of Sal on a Demon Drop type ride, I have a feeling he would laugh the whole way down.


End file.
